While steel is the strongest and most efficient building material, it’s not entirely fireproof. Fires still remain a serious threat to the occupants of any building, but it’s important to recognize just how far steel goes to protect you against fire damage, especially compared to its wood counterpart. Learn all about steel buildings and fire resistance, and discover what you can do to make your steel building safer.
Fire Resistant Steel
If you’re looking for fire-resistant building material, steel is always going to be your best bet. This is because steel is non-combustible, unlike wood. That means steel can’t be used to fuel the fire. Wood, on the other hand, is one of the most effective fuels for fire, which is why people use it in the fireplaces.
That’s not to say steel buildings can’t burn down, but the fire spreads much slower, allowing occupants significantly more time to escape. Just by using steel rather than wood, your building is already better protected against fires, but that’s just the beginning of what you can do.
Apply Coatings
To make your building exceptionally fire resistant, you can apply a special coating to the frame. Solutions like intumescent spray film coating work by expanding if it comes into contact with fire. This expansion forces the fire to work on burning through the coating rather than spreading throughout the frame itself, meaning occupants have even more time to escape before the fire spreads too far. Additionally, this coating can be easily painted over without compromising its integrity, so it’ll never hurt your building’s aesthetics.
Install Sprinklers
One of the most common and effective fire suppression methods in any kind of building is the use of sprinklers. In fact, some building codes require you to have sprinklers. Not only can they help slow the spread of a fire, but sprinklers can sometimes put out the fire entirely provided it hasn’t spread all that much. Even if your Canada steel building code doesn’t require sprinklers, installing them will add an incredibly effective layer of protection.
Use Metal Building Insulation
Insulations blankets are affordable and easy to apply. In fact, this fire protection solution might be your best bet if you’re trying to add protection to an oddly shaped area. Being literal blankets, they can be a bit unsightly on a wall, so make sure to use them for unseen parts of a building or keep them covered if you’re looking to maintain an appealing aesthetic.
Fire Resistant Metal Building
Pre-engineered metal buildings are great if you’re looking for a building that’s easy to construct and durable enough to last you decades. They’re going to be fire resistant by default, but Metal Pro Buildings allows you to work with our team of designers to craft a building specifically suited for your needs. You can even optimize your steel buildings for fire resistance. Contact us today to get started.
